Best fescue/kbg/rye mix available?

Ryan Bowlby

Posts: 2

Location: Hamden, CT

posted 4 years ago

Hi All, I'm new to the forums and new to lawn care. I just moved to Connecticut and purchased a home. I've been attempting to determine the proper seed for a few empty patches of lawn. Luckily, I stumbled across DEEP's guide at http://www.ct.gov/deep/lib/deep/p2/individual/organic_lawn_care_calendar.pdf before I did anything stupid like use fertilizer with phosphorous. That led to this forum and I'm hoping this forum leads to the optimal seed mix. I'd like to get a seed mixture that's 70% fescue, 15-20% rye, and 15-20% kbg. This is for Zone 7 in mid shade. Looking for the best seed available and hoping you all could help. The mix should probably include some creeping red fescue, as that seems to be doing well in the lawn already.

Also, can anyone share their lawn care calendar for this zone? I'd love to know the optimal times of year for the various maintenance work!

I fear you've got a mis-understanding about permaculture - it's kind of about making things low-input so there's usually not a lot of maintenance that goes into stuff, a plant it well and hope it thrives way of looking at things. I do believe fall is the best time to test the soil pH and add lime if needed, tho.

I have a pen we keep baby chicks in once they've feathered out. We put it on any weak patches of lawn so they can apply fertilizer and eat insects, move it every day, and those patches green up nicely in a few weeks. If you have rabbits you could do the same thing with them.

I fear you've got a mis-understanding about permaculture - it's kind of about making things low-input so there's usually not a lot of maintenance that goes into stuff, a plant it well and hope it thrives way of looking at things. I do believe fall is the best time to test the soil pH and add lime if needed, tho.

Thanks Renate, I'm in the suburbs but backed up to a wooded area. I receive daily visits from a flock of turkey poults. There's quite a bit of clover on the lawn, but I'll try to mix in a bit more into the seed for the nitrogen benefits. I have a general understanding of permaculture, but don't plan to add livestock or attempt to achieve a truly self-maintained agricultural system. What I'm hoping to achieve is merely organic lawn care, but that appears to be a gateway to permaculture practices. I'd imagine you guys might be quite knowledgable in this area as a result.